Self-balancing support

ABSTRACT

A self-balancing support means particularly adapted for holding a book, magazine, newspaper, or the like, to which are attached adjustable and removable bags containing fluent material which may be adjusted to various positions to balance and hold the support at various inclinations to the horizontal, movable biased means provided on the support and releasably engageable with a book, magazine, newspaper, or the like, so that the pages of the book, magazine, or the like may be turned. A modification of the support means provides a configuration thereof better permitting it and the balancing means to rest on portions of the human body with facility, and in desirable position for reading the material supported thereon.

[111 3,863,882 1451 Feb. 4, 1975 3,407,757 10/1968 Warner..........,. 108/43 Primary Examiner-William H. Schultz Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Peck & Peck [57] ABSTRACT A self-balancing support means particularly adapted for holding a book, magazine, newspaper, or the like, to which are attached adjustable and removable bags containing fluent material which may be adjusted to various positions to balance and hold the support at various inclinations to the horizontal, movable biased means provided on the support and releasably engageable with a book, magazine, newspaper, or the like, so that the pages of the book, magazine, or the like may ited States Patent 1191' Hatcher SELF-BALANCING SUPPORT [76] Inventor: Constance Bannister Hatcher, PO.

Box 8, Syosset, L. 1., NY. 11791 {22] Filed: May 30, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 257,792

[52] U.S. 248/453, 248/1, 248/364 [51] Int. A47b 97/04 [58] Field of Search 248/1, 102, 105, 188.1,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS be turned. A modification of the support means provides a configuration thereof better permitting it and the balancing means to rest on portions of the human body with facility, and in desirable position for reading the material supported thereon.

4 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures 333 2 5 4441 1.1.1 WWW AwWWW 444 444 ZZZ MZZZ m W M m" n m 8/1891 Armstrong 8/1899 Reid.......... 10/1926 Coss et al.

1/1931 Ruhnau..... 2,054,098 9/1936 Rich.....,.... 2,134,746 Allen. Bellow Allen PATENTED FEB 4 I975 SHEET 10F 4 PATENTEU M975 7%. 863 ,882

SHEET g 0F 4 SELF-BALANCING SUPPORT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is a well known fact that it is often highly desirable to provide a support means for a book, magazine, newspaper, or the like, so that the reader's hands may be free. Such an arrangement permits the reader of the material mounted on the support means to use his hands for any purpose and also prevents the hands and arms from becoming tired. There are many advantages in providing such a support means, however all such support means of this character of which l am aware must rest upon a more or less plane surface and the prior art support means which have been designed for this purpose make no provision for inclining the said support means at various angles to the horizontal in order to conform to surfaces of varying inclinations upon which the support means may rest, and also to present the book, magazine, newspaper, or the like, in proper position to make the reading by the user of the support means easier and more pleasant.

A great many people enjoy reading in bed, or in a reclining position, and it is a fact that reading in this manner is not always easy since ones arms become tired, and if the material which is being read is heavy it is often difficult to hold it in proper position for reading. It is particularly true that in the case of invalids the holding of the book may be exceedingly difficult. I have overcome these disadvantages, and others, by providing a book support means which is adapted to be supported in balanced condition in various positions on a portion of the body of the reclining reader, in most cases the stomach of such reader. I am unaware of any support which is provided with these characteristics to facilitate the reading of various types of material by a person in a reclining position.

In one form of my invention l have so designed and constituted the support means to facilitate its resting in various positions on the body of the reclining reader.

It is also within my contemplation, and means have been provided on my support, to releasably hold the material being read and the pages thereof in order to facilitate the reading, and such holding means is easily operated to permit the turning of a page by the reader.

The various adjustable features and mounting arrangements which are inherent in this book support means are operable with facility and are so constructed to lend long life to the book support.

This invention also provides an arrangement whereby the balancing means may be adjusted to present the support means at the desired inclination, and then whereupon the balancing means may be releasably locked in such adjusted position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A significant purpose of this invention is to provide a self-balancing support means for holding a book, magazine, newspaper, or the like in proper position for viewing by the user of the support means regardless of the shape or configuration of the surface upon which the support means is mounted.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a support means to which is removably attached balancing means which causes said support means to remain in the proper position for viewing by the user, regardless of the shape or configuration of the surface upon which the support means is mounted.

This invention also provides balancing means removably attached to the support means which is adjustable to cause the support means to assume any position on the surface on which it is mounted which is proper for easy viewing by the user of the support means.

The support means of this invention also includes apparatus whereby the book, magazine, newspaper, or the like may be held and maintained on the support means in proper position and may be released with facility by the user of the support to facilitate the turning of pages of the material being viewed or the release of said material.

With the foregoing general objects, features and results in view, as well as certain others which will be apparent from the following explanation the invention consists in certain novel features in design, construction, mounting and combination of elements, as will be more fully and particularly referred to and specified hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of one form of the invention illustrating the balancing means in one adjusted position.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the balancing means removed from the support means.

FIG. 3 is a view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation of the support means with the balancing means in one position from among many which it may assume. I

FIG. Sis a view in side elevation of the support means with the balancing means adjusted to dispose the support means at a particular inclination.

FIG. 6 is a view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a view in perspective of another form of support means and another form of balancing means therefor.

FIG. 8 is a view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a view in side elevation of a further type of support means and illustrates another form of mounting the adjustable self balancing means thereto.

FIG. 10 is a view in front elevation of the support means and the balancing means of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a view in side elevation of the form of support and balancing means of FIG. 9, with the balancing means in adjusted position to hold the support means at an inclination relative to the horizontal.

FIG. 12 is a detailed view illustrating the adjustable pivotal connection of the balancing means to the support means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring particularly to FIGS. 1-6, I have used the numeral 1 to designate in its entirety the support means which is adapted and arranged for holding in viewable and/or readable position a book, magazine, newspaper, or the like, and I have used the numeral 3 to designate in its entirety the balancing means for the support means of this form of the invention.

The support means 1 comprises a body portion which is preferably, though not necessarily, of rectangular configuration, having end walls 5 and front and rear walls 7. The support means which is preferably of hollow construction may, if desired, be provided with -a pair of drawers 9 so that any desirable material may be stored therein and the rectangular support means is thereby made even more useful.

Fixed to and upstanding from the rear top surface or edge of the top 11 of the body is a support backing member 13 preferably, though not necessarily, of the same length as the longitudinal dimension of the body 1. It is preferable to provide at the top edge of the support backing member 13 a carrying handle 15 so that the support means with its balancing means may be easily portable. If desired, an illuminating means described generally by the numeral 17 may be removably clamped as at 19 to the support backing member 13.

The body of the support means is provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced transversely extending grooves 21 which are formed in the top 11 of the body. Each groove 21 is provided with a bottom 23 which is centrally slotted as a 25', and slidably mounted in each groove 21 is a member 25 which is provided at its rear end with an upstanding pressure member 27. The pressure member 27 may be formed integrally with the slidable member 25, or may be affixed thereto in any suitable manner. The slidable member 25 is provided adjacent its forward end with a finger depression 29. Fixed to and depending from the forward end of each slidable member 25 is a trolley 31 which extends downwardly through the slot 25 in the bottom of the groove. A spring 33 is fixed at one end, as at 35, to the trolley and at the other end is fixed to the support means or to a projection extending therefrom, as at 37. It will thus be evident that the slidable member 25, with its upstanding pressure member 27, is slidable in the groove 21 and is spring biased rearwardly so that in normal biased position the pressure member 27 is adjacent to but removed from the rear wall of the support means 1. Each pressure member 27 has affixed thereto a leaf retaining member 39 which extends upwardly beyond the front edge of the pressure member 27. Hence it will be recognized that the page retainer 39 is movable with the pressure member 27 and slidable member as said members slide in the groove.

In the drawings I have illustrated, by means of phantom lines, a book or the like 41 which is maintained in the following manner in viewable position for the user of the support means. It is to be appreciated that the support means has not been designed only for support and holding books for it may be used with equal facility to support newspapers, magazines and any sort of material which is desired to be viewed and/or read by the user. The book, or the like 41 is maintained in upright position against the support backing member 13 by means of the page retaining members 39 which are urged against the book 41 by means of the pressure member 27 which is urged rearwardly under the biasing action of the spring 33. The page retaining members 39 are, of course, formed of any suitable and desirable transparent material so that the pages or leaves of the material which are retained thereby will be visible to the user of the device.

When the support means is being used to maintain material to be viewed or read in a proper upright position, as described, and it is desired to turn a page or release the material, the user of the device merely has to insert a finger in the finger depression 29 and pull forwardly against the action of the spring 33 so that the slidable member 25, the pressure member 27 and the page retaining member 39 will be moved forwardly and the page retaining member 29 removed from pressure contact with the page, so that the page may be turned, or the material being held may be released from the support means.

The balancing means 3 which, as will be particularly described hereinafter, is removably attached to the bottom of the support means and functions as a selfbalancing means for holding the support means in proper position regardless of the inclination or configuration of the surface upon which the support means is mounted.

The self-balancing means 3 comprises a pair of casings designated generally by the numeral 41. Each casing is preferably of a length substantially the same as the length of the support means 1 and is of sufficient width so that it may extend laterally with respect to the front and rear walls 7 of the support means, the width of the casings being sufficient so that the desired selfbalancing effect produced by these casings on the sup port means will result. Each casing 41 is formed of flexible material which may be any suitable fabric, plastic or the like and each casing is partially filled with a fluent material 43, such fluent material may be sand, shot, or the like. Each casing is closed at one longitudinal edge by stitching, or the like, as at 45 and the two casings, in this form of my invention, are connected together by a web 47, the ends 48 of each casing being closed in any suitable or desirable manner in order to maintain the fluent material in the casing. A tab 49 extends outwardly from each end of each casing and each such tab has an aperture 51 therein. The purpose of these tabs will become apparent as this description proceeds. The web 47 adjacent each corner thereof is provided with one element 53 of gripper snaps, the other element of the snap extending from the bottom of the support means for coaction with the element on the web to removably attach the web and its associated casings to the support means 1.

Consideration of FIG. 1 of the drawings shows how the self-balancing means 3 is attached to the support means 1 with is casings 41 extending laterally with respect to the front and rear walls of the support means 1. It will further be evident that the web 47 of the balancing means is removably fixed to the support means 1 while each casing 41 is adjustable with respect to the web 47, and therefore may assume various positions relative to the support means in order to produce the desired balancing effect.

In FIG. 4 the positions of the casings 41 are illustrated when the support means is mounted on a relatively horizontal and plane surface. It will be understood that in this position each casing 41 is moved upwardly along the front and rear walls 7 of the support means, and each casing is maintained in this position by inserting the apertures 51 of the tabs 49 on hooks 55 which are fixed adjacent to each corner of the front and rear walls of the support means.

In FIG. 5 of the drawings I have illustrated an adjustment of the casings 41 in-such manner that the support means 1 is tilted somewhat rearwardly with respect to the horizontal to place the reading material in a position for better viewing by the user of the self-balancing support means, and it will be appreciated that this arrangement may be used if the surface upon which the support means is mounted is not in a horizontal position. In the disclosure FIG. 5 it will be seen that one of the casings 41 is folded back under the support means body 1 while the other casing 41 extends laterally with respect to the support means and rests upon the surface upon which the support means is mounted. Thus, with this arrangement, it will be recognized that the support means is maintained at an angle to the horizontal and even though it is so inclined it will not tip over because of the laterally extending casing.

The disclosure FIG. 5 is presented merely as one example from among many of the positions which may be assumed by the support means as a result of adjustment of the casings 41 with the fluent material 43 therein. It is clear that this balancing means is ingenious and endows the support means with great versatility of mounting and adjustability to present the viewing material in any position relative to the user of the support means which the user desires.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings a further form of my invention has been illustrated, and in the description of this form of the invention I shall use similar reference numerals to those used in FIGS. 1-6 for parts which are the same.

This form of my invention has been particularly adapted for use by one who may be reclining in bed so that the support and balancing means are mounted on a body portion of the user, or it is equally effective when used on the lap of a person seated in a chair or the like. It is to be understood that while this form of the invention has been particularly adapted for resting on body portions of the user the form of the invention already described and illustrated in FIGS. 1-6 may also be used on body portions of the user.

The support means of the form of the invention disclosed in FIGS. 7 and 8 is in most respects similar to that disclosed in FIGS. 1-6 with the significant exception that the bottom 57 of the support means of the form of such means as is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 is of concave configuration, as is most clearly disclosed in FIG. 8 of the drawings. This concave construction is formed longitudinally with respect to the body of the support means 1.

The balancing means of this form of my invention has been designated generally by the numeral 59 and comprises the web 61 from each end of which a casing 63 extends and is fixed thereto. The casings of this form of my invention are of arcuate configuration so that the outermost length of each casing is concaved as at 65. These casings are partially filled with the aforesaid fluent material.

In FIGS. 9-12 of the drawings a further form of my invention is illustrated which, in many instances provides a more adaptable and sure balancing means for the support means. In this form of the invention I have used the same reference numerals to designate similar parts which have heretofore been described.

In this form of the invention I have used the reference numeral 65 to illustrate the support backing member and this backing member is preferably provided at each vertical edge thereof with a channel 67 providing a track for a clipboard or the like 69 which slides vertically in the track 67 at each side of the support backing member 65. The clipboard 69 may be slid vertically with respect to the support backing member 65 and maintained in any vertically adjusted position by means of the manually operable wing nut 71. The support backing member is provided with a slot 73 so that a person may insert his hand therein and carry the entire device about, and the clipboard 69 is likewise provided with a slot for the same purpose. The clipboard 69 is provided with any suitable number of clips 77 for maintaining any desirable, viewable material thereon.

As in the other forms of my invention, I utilize a pair of casings 79 which contain therein fluent material, so that these casings will provide a flexible support or balancing means for the support means. Each fluent material filled casing 79 is attached to the sides of the body of the support by means of slotted links 81 each of which is fixed to an end of a casing 79 by means of a pintle or the like 83, and at its other end each slotted link 81 is pivotally connected to the body of the support means by means of a screw 85 which is threaded in a boss 86 on the ends of the body, the screw extends through the slot 87 of the link 81. It will now be appreciated that each casing 79 may be adjusted relative to the support means and then maintained in such adjusted position by tightening the screw 85 so that the link may not pivot on screw 85. It will also be appreciated that each casing 79 is capable of limited movement to and from the body of the support means 1. This is the fact since upon loosening the screw 85 the links may be moved relative thereto so that the screw may be maintained at any point in the slot 87 merely upon this adjustment whereupon the screw is tightened.

FIG. 11 shows one, from among many, of the various adjustments of the body of the support means I which may be made so that the support means 1 is at some angle with respect to the horizontal, and this angle may be maintained merely by tightening screw 85.

I claim:

1. Means for supporting material in position viewable by the user, including in combination, a body upon which the material rests, means on said body in engagement with the material for holding it in viewable position by the user, and at least two balancing and supporting means connected to the body and movable and adjustable with respect thereto and with respect to each other and adapted to support said body in various positions with respect to the surface upon which it is supported, said at least two balancing means comprising a fluent material, wherein said balancing and supporting means comprise flexible casings containing fluent material, said casings being disposable laterally of said body and being of a length substantially the same as the length of the side of the body with respect to which they may be laterally disposed, the casings being connected to the body along one longitudinal edge whereby the casings may assume different positions relative to the body.

2. Means for supporting material in position viewable by the user in accordance with claim 1, wherein said flexible casings are connected together in spaced apart relation by means of a web.

3. Means for supporting material in position viewable by the user in accordance with claim 2, wherein said web is removably attached to the bottom of said body.

4. Means for supporting material in position viewable by the user in accordance with claim 1, wherein said body is provided with a concave bottom surface and the outer longitudinal surfaces of said casings are longitudinally concave. 

1. Means for supporting material in position viewable by the user, including in combination, a body upon which the material rests, means on said body in engagement with the material for holding it in viewable position by the user, and at least two balancing and supporting means connected to the body and movable and adjustable with respect thereto and with respect to each other and adapted to support said body in various positions with respect to the surface upon which it is supported, said at least two balancing means comprising a fluent material, wherein said balancing and supporting means comprise flexible casings containing fluent material, said casings being disposable laterally of said body and being of a length substantially the same as the length of the side of the body with respect to which they may be laterally disposed, the casings being connected to the body along one longitudinal edge whereby the casings may assume different positions relative to the body.
 2. Means for supporting material in position viewable by the user in accordance with claim 1, wherein said flexible casings are connected together in spaced apart relation by means of a web.
 3. Means for supporting material in position viewable by the user in accordance with claim 2, wherein said web is removably attached to the bottom of said body.
 4. Means for supporting material in position viewable by the user in accordance with claim 1, wherein said body is provided with a concave bottom surface and the outer longitudinal surfaces of said casings are longitudinally concave. 